Finnair canceled about 40 flights for two days, temporarily suspended the operation of eight of its 15 Airbus A321 aircraft due to possible cleaning of seats in the cabins with water. This is reported by the Business Insider portal with reference to the carrier's statement.
Finnair has received information from the manufacturer of seat covers, stating that it has not been "properly tested" whether flushing them with water affects fire protection.
"Safety is always our top priority, and we always follow the manufacturer's instructions for maintenance, as well as recommendations," the airline explained.
The company added that they are exploring various options in order to resume operation of all vessels as soon as possible.
About 5 thousand air passengers suffered from this situation.
Finnair is the national airline of Finland. The main shareholder of the airline is the Government of Finland, which owns 55.9% of the shares.
The airline was founded in 1923 and today is one of the oldest continuously operating airlines in the world. In addition, the Finnish carrier is regularly ranked among the safest airlines.